The Correlation between Disordered Eating Behaviors and the Self-concept of Male and Female Students at a University in Central Taiwan

• Main Authors: Lin Chun-Yuan, 林俊媛
• Other Authors: Chen Walter
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2004
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/69439968580998943721

碩士 === 中國醫藥大學 === 醫學研究所 === 92 === Abstract Objectives: It is commonly believed that eating disorders and pathological eating behaviors are associated with Western societies, and little is known about the prevalence of these disorders in other parts of the world. Despite numerous research studies of eating disorders in clinical samples (many of them including only female subjects), less studies on adolescent and young adult eating problems in non-clinical samples were reported. The objectives of this investigation were as follows: (1) To estimate the frequency of disordered eating behaviors among students at a university in Taiwan. (2) To determine the correlation between disordered eating behaviors and the students’ gender, age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), self-concept, and other psychological characteristics. (3) To assess the different presentation of the correlation between disordered eating behaviors and the self-concept among two genders. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design. The study subjects were undergraduate students at a university in mid Taiwan. Students’ eating behaviors were examined by using the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) and their psychological characteristics were detected by using Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and other history of risked behaviors. The correlation between disordered eating behaviors with the psychological characteristics of the students was assessed to identify the main risk factor for disordered eating behaviors. Results: In this study, the frequency of eating problems of male and female students at a university in Taiwan was established, and the psychological characteristics correlated with dysfunctional eating behavior were also determined. By using Chinese version Eating Attitude Test-26 for a screen tool, 11.6% percent of subjects had eating disorder behaviors in this study. For all students, the following variables were considered to be positively correlated with eating problems: female gender, lower self-concept level, risked behaviors (binge eating, purging, self-medication, suicidal ideation/attempts). The study revealed females had higher prevalent rate of disordered eating behaviors. Among female students, lower overall self -concept and binge eating correlate with disordered eating behaviors positively. The risk factors of males with eating problems include older age, over weight, lower level of moral thinking self, lower level of self-satisfaction, binge, purging, suicidal ideation and attempts. Conclusion: The results are consistent with the previous literature. This study program can be generalized to the college-aged population or community population in Taiwan. Future research should attempt to replicate and extend these findings as regards the configuration and conceptualization of disordered eating behaviors in male and females in the community. Therefore, findings should be useful for both prevention and treatment.